Improving Your SAT/ACT Scores

Starting with the class of 2025, nearly all colleges are reinstating standardized tests as part of their applications, making it more important than ever to get the best score possible. The question is, how can you do this?

If you don’t know about the SAT and ACT, let me give you a quick rundown of how the test works.

SAT (in order of sections):

Reading: 65 minutes for 52 questions
Writing and Language: 35 minutes for 44 questions
Math: 80 minutes for 58 questions

ACT (in order of sections):

English (Similar to Writing and Language in the SAT): 45 minutes for 75 questions
Math: 60 minutes for 60 questions
Reading: 35 minutes for 40 questions
Science: 35 minutes for 40 questions

Picking the right test

One of the BIGGEST AND QUICKEST ways to improve your test scores is picking the right test.

To do this, you must evaluate what you are good at to decide which test reflects your knowledge better. Colleges only require ONE test. Look below to see which test you might be better at.

SAT:

More focused on English, such as Reading and Grammar sections.

Gives more time per question in all sections.

No science section.

ACT

Has a balance between English, Math, and Science.

Gives less time per question.

Science section.

Based on these factors, along with taking a practice test yourself, you can figure out which test to study for. A person who likes science and math more than reading would take the ACT instead of the SAT. Likewise, someone who likes reading more than math and science would take the SAT.

Creating a study plan

Once you’ve picked a test, it’s time to create a study plan. First, you need to know your strengths and weaknesses. Take the test you want to study for, mimicking the testing environment as much as possible. You can do this by taking a test in your home or signing up to take a proctored test at a location in your area. Whatever you do, make sure you can see what you missed to create a plan.

Okay, you’ve taken the test and know what you missed. It’s time to start studying. Here’s how to plan things out.

Write down every type of question you missed and every type of content you missed. Practicing both CONTENT and TYPE questions is key to improving on the exam. Content refers to actual material, for example, you need to improve on historical passages or trigonometry. Type questions refer to wording and what it’s asking. For example, you might be good at reading but don’t do well on main idea questions.
Look for patterns and trends. Are you missing a certain type of question? Are you missing lots of questions on a specific topic? Write down your most missed categories, and focus on these for studying.
Create your schedule. This part depends almost entirely on what your goals are and your work ethic. However, a schedule should involve a few factors. Firstly, how long will you spend in a consecutive study session? 30 minutes? 2 hours? It can be any time you choose, but make sure to take breaks for longer sessions so you don’t burn yourself out. Secondly, how many times will you study a week? Most students get busy, whether with applications, work, or classes in their later school years and these factor into your available time. Some can study every day, and some once a week, but studying as much as you can without burnout is optimal. Lastly, what content will you study in each session? Perhaps you want to study systems of equations or scientific passages for the next two weeks, and then another topic afterwards. Proper planning is important to create a good schedule.
Tackle sections one at a time— work on improving your trigonometry skills, rather than multiple sections in the math section. Doing things one at a time lets you gain momentum: You continuously practice and build on what you know, solidifying one topic rather than touching on multiple topics.
DO NOT FORGET. This is easier said than done, obviously, but we can still practice this. When you’ve finished practicing a topic to your satisfaction, don’t expect it to stay in your memory. You still have to practice throughout studying. You can do this by taking the last 15 minutes to practice a previous topic or having one full comprehensive review day in your schedule. Reviewing and going back to topics will help things stick.
Be consistent. Obvious, right? Maybe so, but it is so important to mention. All this planning is great, but staying consistent with your studying will let you make real progress. If you decide to do anything on this page, it should be staying consistent.

Taking the test (And Prepping)

You’ve been studying a lot, sticking to your schedule, and have made progress. At some point, you will take the test you’ve been preparing for, so let’s discuss some preparation.

Don’t cram. You’ve been studying with a schedule, and cramming the week before the test won’t do you any good. This can cause unnecessary stress and might decrease performance during the test!
Get proper sleep. Seems like classic advice, but you don’t want to be tired during a test that you’ve been working so hard for! Get 7-9 hours of sleep, the recommended amount for teenagers.
Eat a good breakfast. Your test will be fairly early in the morning, and take multiple hours. You may have snacks, but give yourself time to have a good breakfast to stay energized for the test.
Stay focused. It can be hard to clear your mind, but do your best to keep yourself in the zone for your test.

What to do after the test

If you got the score that you wanted, congratulations! If not, that’s okay. Hopefully, you improved, but if not, you still tried your best. But, if you want to increase your score, what should you do now?

Reassess. If you have the option, see what you missed. Tests, sometimes with additional money, offer the ability to see what type of questions you missed on the test, and what content they cover. While this is essential to creating your next study plan, it might offer insight into your strengths. If it’s not too late for you, you might be able to switch tests depending on the first section.
Review. Using the second section, go through the steps with your most recent tests. Eventually, you’ll want to take a second test.
Repeat. Take another test. If you didn’t get the score you wanted, and you have both the time and money to do so, repeat the process. At the end of the day, everyone values their scores differently. It determines how much time and money they’re willing to spend to get the score they want, and it’s different for everyone.

Last remarks and important things to know

This process is different for everyone, and everyone has a different journey. Though lengthy, this guide may not fit everyone, and may perfectly fit others. Some might ditch this entirely and find a tutor or advisor, or come up with their plan. Whatever you decide to do, give it your all.

There are a few things anyone should know. Firstly, MOST colleges don’t care how many times you take a test. Very few will ask for all your scores.

Secondly, you can SUPERSCORE(VERY IMPORTANT)! What is a “superscore”? It is the best scores you’ve gotten in different sections across different tests, allowing you to take your best scores. Let me give you two examples.

Joe takes his first SAT. His score: 600 Math, 680 Reading. Total - 1280.

He takes a second one. His score: 690 Math, 660 Reading. Total - 1350.

Even though he dropped in reading, he can superscore. He gets the best scores on both tests. The reading from test 1, and math from test 2. He combines this to get a 1370! MOST colleges allow you to superscore. Here’s another example of the ACT

ACT 1: Math 33, English 30, Grammar 31, Science 34. Final Score: 32

ACT 2: Math 32, English 31, Grammar 33, Science 32. Final Score: 32

Superscore: Math 33, English 31, Grammar 33, Science 34. Final Score: 33(1 more than without the superscore)

As you can see, superscore can be an important factor in how you study for multiple tests.

After everything you’ve read, hopefully, you’re ready to start your journey. Whatever test you take, and whatever score you get, be proud of what you have and that you worked hard. The study habits that people develop for standardized testing stick with them for life, and that is very valuable. Good luck!

Summary

Here is a quick summary of every section, and the key takeaways.

Picking the right test

The SAT and ACT cover different topics. While they both cover Math and English, the number of questions differ. The ACT also gives science questions, but less time overall for the test. STEM lovers might prefer the ACT, and art/English lovers might prefer the SAT.

Creating a study plan

Creating a proper study plan that you will stick to is important for preparing for your test. Practicing content and type questions, focusing on missed categories, making a schedule that you’ll stick to, and practicing old content should all be things you do as you study.

Taking the test

Coming up to the test and taking it, there are a few things to know. Don’t cram, get proper sleep, eat a good breakfast the day of, and don’t let anything distract you. You want to be ready to give it your all on test day.

Post-test

If you got the score you wanted, congratulations! If not, there are some things you should do, if you plan to take another test. Reassess your previous test, review the necessary topics, and take another test.

Final Remarks and Important Things

Everyone has a different journey with different goals, and this guide may be more beneficial to some than others. Whatever you do though, make sure to give it your all. One important thing to know is Superscore, taking the highest scores you get of a section across multiple tests, and combining it to get a better score. This exists because some colleges want to see the highest score you could’ve gotten, rather than from a specific test.

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ACT® is a trademark registered by ACT Inc, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, this website.